Elo slowly let out a breath, his sigh deep and prolonged, as if releasing all the pent-up emotions in his chest.

  “Now, the Earth is destroyed, and 8.5 billion lives were wiped out in an instant.

  Almost everyone left this world unprepared, and we should have been among them.

  But, oh, fate has played a tremendous joke on us.”

  Elo slowly swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes steady and profound, then said:

  “At present, the situation has already come to this.

  And I, by chance, have the ability to make the world a better place and bring greater happiness to everyone.

  If that’s the case, why shouldn’t we do it?”

  He then turned to Vian and asked,

  “Give me a reason—one that can truly convince me—not to do it.”

  Vian had nothing to say; she couldn’t come up with a reason.

  Even if she had one, it wouldn’t be enough to sway Elo.

  Elo's eyes flickered with complex emotions as he told Vian,

  "Of course, I also understand:

  As a person, my abilities are limited. I cannot make all life live a happy and fulfilling existence.

  Perhaps, even at my peak, I would not have the power to bring happiness to all life in the world.

  This world is incredibly complex—every individual, every faction, every nation, and every people has its own stance."

  He looked at Vian sincerely, his tone firm, carrying an unshakable conviction:

  "But at the very least, as the leader of the Human Federation, I must shoulder this responsibility until the day we part ways.

  Only then can I lay down this burden with a clear conscience.

  Because by that time, I will no longer be the leader of the Human Federation, and I will no longer need to trouble myself over their interests and positions."

  Vian frowned deeply, still unable to let it go. "But is it really necessary to make the system public?"

  Elo's gaze was gentle as he quietly looked at Vian.

  "Reality isn’t a novel, and the people we meet on our journey are not mere side characters.

  Look at these cabinet members—aren’t they all the elite among elites?

  In their lives so far, they have been the protagonists of their own stories.

  They are not stupid. Not in the slightest.

  Therefore, they will think through the problems and find the answers in their own way.

  And in the future, our enemies will be the same—no one is a fool.

  Of course, for the strategic interests of the Federation, we could never reveal such crucial information to our enemies.

  Not to mention our enemies—even our partners, or even our most supportive allies, cannot be told."

  The cabinet members instinctively nodded, clearly agreeing with Elo's perspective.

  Elo swept his gaze across the cabinet members, his tone gentle yet firm:

  "But we must ensure that this matter is known internally.

  Only then can we build genuine trust and achieve greater unity.

  A strong enemy is not to be feared, for no enemy is truly invincible.

  As long as we are united, we will be unstoppable.

  Disasters are not truly terrifying, because we can face them together with unity and determination.

  Even if, in the end, we cannot save everything, at the very least, we will have done our best—we can face it without regret.

  What I truly worry about is ourselves.

  Fortresses are often most easily breached from within; the only thing that can truly defeat us is ourselves.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Was the Soviet Union not strong enough? At its peak, the entire world trembled because of it.

  But after 1991, where did it go? We all know the answer.

  So, whether now or in the future, we must always remember one thing—unity.

  Unity should not merely be a slogan for propaganda, nor should it be used as an excuse to oppress others.

  It must be a goal we work to achieve with genuine effort.

  A shared purpose, effective communication, breaking down barriers, fairness and freedom, democracy and the rule of law...

  All these efforts point to one core principle—unity and trust.

  I chose to reveal the system for the same reason.

  I hope you will remember this: united, we are invincible.

  And if one day we do fall, barring an extinction-level disaster like the one that befell Earth,

  the only possible reason will be our own internal failings—just like the Soviet Union."

  Elo's words caused the atmosphere in the room to freeze instantly, deeply resonating with the cabinet members.

  They were not people who could be easily moved, but in their eyes, Elo had long since transcended the title of emperor—he was the embodiment of faith.

  "Let me repeat: for the sake of national security and interests, this must remain confidential.

  Since it must be kept secret, under normal circumstances, I shouldn’t tell anyone about this—not even my family.

  However, the situation we face now is far from normal."

  Elo paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone in the room.

  "The system is not something that only I can use. I can grant its usage rights to others."

  This statement landed like a bombshell.

  Everyone's eyes lit up, ignited by an indescribable surge of passion and anticipation.

  However, Vian's expression darkened abruptly.

  She abruptly stood up, her tone filled with barely restrained dissatisfaction, almost roaring as she spoke:

  "Why didn’t you say so earlier?!"

  Upon hearing this, their mother’s expression instantly darkened, her tone stern yet still tinged with restraint:

  "Vian!"

  Vian, however, remained undeterred. She raised her head and met her mother’s gaze directly, clearly unwilling to back down on this issue.

  After all, there were others present here, and more importantly, Elo was also in the room.

  Their mother rarely showed anger in front of Elo, and this moment of rebuke was already her limit.

  Elo, however, simply smiled and said to his mother,

  “Why be angry? Is there really anything worth getting upset about?”

  Though clearly displeased, their mother said nothing further.

  Elo then turned to Vian, his tone carrying a hint of helpless explanation:

  “I was planning to tell you privately, but you brought the issue out in the open, which is why things have turned out like this.”

  Vian, unwilling to argue further, responded coldly,

  “Give me the system!”

  Elo said helplessly,

  "It's not that I won't give it to you, but there isn't a single quota available at the moment.

  Otherwise, the moment I obtained the system, I would have given it to you right away."

  Vian bit her lip, her dissatisfaction evident, but she also knew her brother was telling the truth.

  Thirty years of deep bond made her believe that if Elo was unwilling to give it even to her, then he would be even less likely to give it to anyone else.

  Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her emotions and asked,

  “Why?”

  Elo gave a bitter smile and explained,

  “There are tasks to complete—system tasks.”

  Everyone immediately understood that the so-called tasks were merely excuses created by the system to force Elo to embark on his journey.

  Vian was furious, practically gritting her teeth as she said, "What a garbage system!"

  Her words instantly broke the heavy atmosphere, and several people in the room couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

  Even the guards silently standing in the corner cracked faint smiles.

  Elo chuckled as well, then turned to the cabinet members, his tone becoming more serious:

  "You don’t need to worry about information leaks.

  Even without obtaining the [System Usage Rights], the system can still ensure that Federation citizens do not leak information.

  Before any act of leaking occurs, the system will intervene.

  Even if an enemy could extract our memories, probe our minds, or observe our fates, it would be meaningless.

  The reason Alaya cannot observe me is precisely due to this confidentiality mechanism."

  Elo paused and added,

  "Perhaps there may indeed be higher beings capable of breaking through the system's confidentiality mechanisms.

  but so far, we have not encountered such entities.

  If we ever face such higher beings in the future, we will think of a way to handle it then."

  Vian still couldn’t fully let it go, though her tone had softened somewhat:

  "Even if the system is loyal, even if no one can seize it, even if the system can ensure that none of our own leak secrets.

  Even so, I still believe this matter should not be made public, because it would undermine your authority."

  Her gaze was complex, her tone tinged with worry:

  "People might look down on you. They might think:

  You are not truly strong; it is only because of the system that you appear powerful.

  If you were to lose the system, you would be nothing more than an ordinary person.

  The result is this: they might see you as someone who simply got lucky.

  This would weaken your prestige and could even shake your authority."

  Vian's words struck a chord with the cabinet members, as they had considered the same thoughts when Elo revealed the system.

  Elo gently shook his head, his voice low and calm, yet imbued with a profound sense of strength:

  "Forget about others—even I myself would think so."

  Vian was not surprised by Elo’s words; she waited for him to elaborate.

  “Of course, I know I am not simply lucky.

  The system chose me not because of chance, but because it was destined.

  However, I cannot deny this:

  The reason I obtained the system was not due to my own efforts, but because of my past life.

  Just as some are born into poverty, while others are born into wealthy families.

  Those born into privilege are not wealthy because of their own abilities, but because of their family background.

  This advantage comes from their predecessors, not their own achievements. I am no different.”

  He looked around the room, his gaze warm yet resolute:

  “Since this is the truth, why not openly admit it?

  Acknowledging it is, in fact, also acknowledging that I am not outstanding, nor am I an omnipotent or flawless god.

  Because I am not a god, I cannot save ‘everyone in the world,’ nor can I bear the responsibilities imposed on me by every life.

  I am just an ordinary person, and as an ordinary person, I have my own interests and positions.

  Sometimes, these interests and positions may lead me to decisions that are unfavorable to others.

  Precisely because my abilities are limited, people should not expect me to save them.

  They should rely on their own efforts to seek happiness and create a better world.”

  Elo’s gaze was sincere, and his tone carried a touch of earnestness:

  “And it is precisely because my abilities are limited that I need others to help me.

  But an omnipotent god, a flawless god—then I must ask:

  What is the value of humanity? What is the value of life? What is the value of the world?”